Audible speed-indicator for rotating mechanism.



H. H. LEWIS. k AUDIBLE SPEED INDICATOR FOR ROTATING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8, 1914- Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

A TTORA/EI w W m "AH w 0 H WITNESSES: I

' To all whom it may concern HARRY H. LEWIS, 0F PORTLAND, .onnqon.

. AUDIBLE SPEED-INDICATOR FOR BOTATIITG- MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Febl ll, 11916..

Application filed June 18, 1914. Serial No. 845,986.

Be it known that I,HARRY H. LEWIS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city of Portland, county of Multnomah, State of Oregon, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Audible Speed-Indicators for Rotating Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates generally to mechanism having a rotating part, the circumferential speed of which is required to be maintained between a predetermined minimum and maximum in order that the mechanism will operate with efficiency.

My invention relates specifically to cream separators, and in this connection especially to hand-operated cream separators; so, in the further description of my invention its use will be specifically applied to hand-operated cream separators.

Preceding my present lnvention, I in-.

vented an audible underspeed indicator, whichembodied the primary idea involved and for which I filed an application for Letters Patent February 5, 1915, under Serial In order to more readily understand my a present invention it is convenient to briefly refer to the theory involved in the mechanical separation of cream from milk. All cream separators must be run at a predetermined speed in order to obtain the best results. If the cream separator be operated at under speed, the butter fats are not properly separated, and will be lost in the skim milk. On the other hand, if the separator is operated at too great a speed, the cream will get so thick that it will not flow properly in the machine and the milk will not produce its proper per cent. of creamI-Audible means are preferable for indicating the.

proper speeds because practice has demonstratedthat it is more convenient to depend upon the ear than the eye.

To attain my primary purpose, I heretofore combinedwith the crank-handle of a hand-operated separator, means consisting of abell and striker arranged to be actuated by gravity and centrifugal force, and adapted to sound an alarm during each revolution of the crank handle, while rotating at underspeed and to cease giving an alarm when the pr'oper speed is attained. Such device was not as practical as it should be, for the operator, in order to assure himself that he was not overspeeding, had to so turn the crank handle as to occasionally hear the sound indicating underspeed, so as to keep ust above that point.

My present invention, however, has for its purpose the providing of improved means emlttmg two readily distinguishable sounds which will indicate not onl when the creamseparator is being run un' er speed but also when run over speed. In other words, in my improved device, the underspeed is indicated by a ring and the approximate proper speed by a click, and silence of the I latter indicates over speed.

The details of construction and operation of my device are hereinafter fully set forth. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the operating handle and hub of a cream separator, in connection with which my indicating device is used.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken approximately. on the line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end-elevation'of the gong-stand; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the gong-stand and the gong; this view is taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3. r

The hub of the cream separator is represented by a, the operating c ank-arm by b, and the handle by d, the latter being secured by a. bolt 0. A U shaped strap of metal or bracket 6 is made with a longitudinal slot, 6', in one leg. The bolt, 0, of the handle, (I, is extended through the slot, e, and the nut f holds the strap 6 in fixed relationship to said handle. The bracket must be adjusted to radial alinement with the separator-shaft, at.

The hell. 7 and guide element for the hammer, h, are then mounted on the bracket 6 in the following manner: The guide element 6 is screwed on the bracket (2, by the screws 7', the spacer 70 being put in place as shown. Said gulde element is conveniently made of a plate 1 (see F1g,3) having an integral barrel, m, for the" ball-hammer, 72,.

ball-hammer, h, is free to move in the barrel, m, being prevented from falling out of the open end of said barrel by the rim of the bell.

When the separator is being rotated above the predetermined speed, the centrifugal roe developed will tend to hold the ballhammer it out against the closed end of the barrel, m, but as soon as the rotary speed of the separator drops below this predetermined speed, gravity will cause the ballhammer to drop down and strike the rim of the bell, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, whenever the crank-arm 7) reaches its highest point. The alarm so given will indicate to the operator that the speed should be increased.

As the circumferential speed varies directly as the radius, theradial adjustment of the bracket e would change alarm relatively to the desired speed of rotation.

- When the rotation of the crank arm Z), is first started, then once during each complete revolution of the crank-arm, and while the latter is in its highest position, the open end of the guide element being'therefore down, the loose hammer will roll by gravity out of the open end of the guide element, and strike the bell; and when the crank arm is in its lowest position, the closed end of the guide-element being therefore down, the loose hammer will roll against the closed end of the guide-element, and produce" a sharp click. Such actions continue until the speed of rotation of the crank arm is increased be 0nd the predetermined minimum, when tie. developed centrifugal force willrestrain the movement of the hammer from striking the bell. The silence of the bell indicates that the separator is being operatedab he p"cueter mined minimum speed. The clickproduced by the hammer striking the closed end of the barrel, however, still continues until the predetermined maximum speed! is reached, whereupon the click will also be eliminated, due to the fact that the developed centrifugal force is holding theball against the closed end" of the barrel, such closed end serving as a stop and the operator will thus be informed that the predetermined maximum speed is being exceeded. in short, the operator will run the sepaxaator at such speed as not to hear the ring, click.

'ut still hear the ,member is exceeded.

2. The combination with a device having a rotating memberfof an audible speed-indicator consisting of a striker adapted .to be actuated by gravity and centrifugal force, means for restraining the movement of the latter to a path radial to the axis'of rotation of said member, and a sound emitter located at each end of said path whereby the striker will be caused to strike both sound emitters during each revolution of the member, While rotated under a predetermined speed, to strike one sound} emitter while said member is rotated under apredeterniined maximum. speed, and said indicator will become silent, when said maximi m speed is exceeded.

3. As an attach ent for mechanism having ,a member rot: ting in a vertical plane, a

- bracket adapted for being-attached to the .rotating member, a barrel on the bracket.

having a stop at one end, a loose ball hammer in such barrel and restrained thereby to move radially to the axis of rotation of said rotating member; and a bell suppi' rtedby the bracket in position to be struck by the, hammer, said stop also emitting a sound when struck.

HARRY H. LEW 155. W itnesses WM. C. SGHMiTT, D. E. CRABB. 

